A 45-year-old man repeatedly stabbed inside his mate's Unanderra home on State of Origin night has told a court he lied to police for more than six weeks about the identity of his attacker out of fear for his safety. Micky Chicharo was stabbed three times - twice to the chest and once in the abdomen - on the evening of June 24 last year as he and the home's owner, Cameron Kelly, were preparing to watch game two of State of Origin. The Crown alleges Illawarra man named Walid Youssef was responsible for the attack following a dispute about whether Mr Chicharo had given information to the police. Youssef was arrested and charged with attempted murder but is fighting the charges, claiming he was not inside Mr Kelly's house that night and that Mr Chicharo had wrongly identified him as the stabber. On the opening day of Youssef's trial in Wollongong District Court on Tuesday, Mr Chicharo admitted concocting an elaborate story about being the victim of a "random attack" when he gave a statement to police after his release from hospital two days later. The court heard Mr Chicharo told police he was in his Isuzu ute when he stopped at a 'give way' sign on Waples Road and heard someone yelling "oi you, get out of your car". Mr Chicharo told detectives the man, who he didn't know, dragged him out of the car, wrestled with him and then stabbed him before fleeing the scene. Mr Chicharo claimed he drove around trying find the man but then drove back to Mr Kelly's house and was subsequently taken to hospital. However, detectives obtained CCTV footage from one of Mr Kelly's neighbours, which proved Mr Chicharo had returned to Mr Kelly's house without injury and that his statement was false. Mr Chicharo provided a second statement in August 2018 in which he divulged the "truth" of the matter, naming Youssef as his attacker. He told the court on Tuesday he had been "too scared" of Youssef to tell the truth at the time. In his second statement, the details fo which reaffirmed in court, Mr Chicharo claimed Youssef accused him of "snitching", telling him "put your head down when you look at me you dog". The pair got into a "scuffle" in Mr Kelly's loungeroom, prompting Mr Kelly to tell them to take it outside. However, Mr Chicharo claims as he went to walk outside, Youssef grabbed a steak knife from the coffee table and stabbed in the abdomen. He said he fell down and was stabbed twice more before Youssef left the house. "I thought I was going to die," Mr Chicharo said. The trial continues.

State of Origin stabbing victim lied to police out of fear for his alleged attacker: court

A 45-year-old man repeatedly stabbed inside his mate's Unanderra home on State of Origin night has told a court he lied to police for more than six weeks about the identity of his attacker out of fear for his safety.

Micky Chicharo was stabbed three times - twice to the chest and once in the abdomen - on the evening of June 24 last year as he and the home's owner, Cameron Kelly, were preparing to watch game two of State of Origin.

The Crown alleges Illawarra man named Walid Youssef was responsible for the attack following a dispute about whether Mr Chicharo had given information to the police.

Youssef was arrested and charged with attempted murder but is fighting the charges, claiming he was not inside Mr Kelly's house that night and that Mr Chicharo had wrongly identified him as the stabber.

On the opening day of Youssef's trial in Wollongong District Court on Tuesday, Mr Chicharo admitted concocting an elaborate story about being the victim of a "random attack" when he gave a statement to police after his release from hospital two days later.

The court heard Mr Chicharo told police he was in his Isuzu ute when he stopped at a 'give way' sign on Waples Road and heard someone yelling "oi you, get out of your car".

Mr Chicharo told detectives the man, who he didn't know, dragged him out of the car, wrestled with him and then stabbed him before fleeing the scene.

Mr Chicharo claimed he drove around trying find the man but then drove back to Mr Kelly's house and was subsequently taken to hospital.

However, detectives obtained CCTV footage from one of Mr Kelly's neighbours, which proved Mr Chicharo had returned to Mr Kelly's house without injury and that his statement was false.

Mr Chicharo provided a second statement in August 2018 in which he divulged the "truth" of the matter, naming Youssef as his attacker.

He told the court on Tuesday he had been "too scared" of Youssef to tell the truth at the time.

In his second statement, the details fo which reaffirmed in court, Mr Chicharo claimed Youssef accused him of "snitching", telling him "put your head down when you look at me you dog".

The pair got into a "scuffle" in Mr Kelly's loungeroom, prompting Mr Kelly to tell them to take it outside.

However, Mr Chicharo claims as he went to walk outside, Youssef grabbed a steak knife from the coffee table and stabbed in the abdomen.

He said he fell down and was stabbed twice more before Youssef left the house.